Orcutt Academy defeated host Pioneer Valley 6-3 in an Ocean League girls tennis match Friday. In a way, however, both teams won.
The victory came in the form of the match being played in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After months of doubt that there would be any sports in the 2020-21 school year, area girls tennis teams got the go-ahead last month to start holding team workouts.
The teams are in their first season of tennis since 2019. Orcutt Academy’s Spartans have 14 matches scheduled, all but two are league matches. Pioneer Valley’s Panthers have nine matches slated, all in league.
Orcutt Academy is 1-2, with the losses coming to league rival Templeton. The match was Pioneer Valley’s season opener.
“I’m just happy to be able to be able to go out and play,” said Orcutt Academy junior Amber Wey. A hard-serving lefty, she won her No. 1 singles match 6-1, 6-0.
Wey is in her first season of tennis for Orcutt Academy. She plays on the USTA juniors circuit, but “there just haven’t been many matches in L.A.,” because of the pandemic, she said.
Players from both teams wore masks throughout their matches and they didn’t switch sides after every odd-numbered game.
They did not do the customary post-match handshake, but they did come to the net to greet each other. Some exchanged the customary sportsmanlike touching of rackets.
Pioneer Valley sophomore Sophia Trejo was ecstatic to get out and play a match.
“I was always stressed out just staying inside,” she said. “It feels good to get some air.”
Orcutt Academy led 4-2 going into the three doubles matches. With only about an hour of daylight left, Pioneer Valley coach Kevin Ilac elected for doubles teams to play an eight-game pro set instead of a best-of-three sets.
Wey and Isabelle Lopez, an Orcutt Academy senior who is Spartans coach Art Lopez’s daughter, clinched the match for the Spartans with an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles.
The first-time doubles tandem has had a limited time together because of the pandemic.
“It took us about a week to get the timing down as a doubles team,” said Isabella Lopez.
Isabella Lopez and Wey both said it has been hard getting used to playing an entire match with a mask on.
Art Lopez gives his players the option of dropping their masks to their chins on occasion.
“It’s good to just get a break that way,” Isabella Lopez said.
“I sweat a lot, so it’s been hard for me,” to get used to wearing a mask throughout,” said Wey.
Both coaches said they were happy their teams have simply been able to get their teams out on the court, although, “I have mixed emotions,” said Art Lopez.
“We’ve had to jump through some hoops because of the pandemic. We lost two players, and two seniors decided to graduate early.
“I’m happy for the girls we have that they get to play.”
Ilac said, “I didn’t coach these girls (in 2019), I’ve only been with them three weeks and I’m excited about the progress I’ve seen. “We definitely have a growth mindset, and I’ll be very excited to see the growth.”